Marker buoy



July 3, 1955 L. l.. PARKER 2,752,615

MARKER BUOY Filed May 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

LELA/VD L. PARKER BY ATTORNEYS -INVENTOR. LELAg/VD L. PARKER BY L. L. PARKER MARKER BUOY July 3, 1956 nited State Mn BUOY Leland L. Parker, Corona, Calif., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates generally to the recovery or devices, equipment, and the like from under water, and more particularly to a buoy for marking the location vand facilitating the recovery of submerged equipment.

The present invention being made with a particular view toward facilitating the recovery from under Water yof test and practice missiles or projectiles used in, on, -or over water, it is described herein with particular relation to such use, it being apparent, however, that the present invention is not limited thereto. In various test .and practice uses of missiles and projectiles operating in, on, or over water, it is frequently desirable to recover these missiles or projectiles for inspection and/ or to conserve and to re-use them. It is therefore desirable that such devices be provided with means which mark their location when submerged and facilitate their recovery. To this end the present invention provides an automatically infiated buoy, a release mechanism therefor, and an anchor reel attached thereto, all designed to be housed as a compact unit within the missile, projectile, or other equipment whose submerged position is intended to be marked. Additionally, the present invention contemplates the use of a water soluble trigger for initiating inflation and release of the buoy after the equipment within which it is mounted has been submerged for a period of time.

It is therefore one `object of the present invention to provide an automatically inflated and released buoy for marking the position of equipment submerged under water..

Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact marker buoy unit adapted to be contained within a piece of equipment, wherein the buoy is automatically inflated and released upon submergence of said equipment under water for a period of time, to mark the location of the equipment and facilitate recovery thereof.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention `will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the foliowing detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a missile or projectile containing two marker buoy units embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View of an assembled marker buoy unit embodying the present invention; I

Fig. 3 is a reduced top plan View of the assembly illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a reduced cross sectional view ofthe assembly illustrated in Fig. 2, taken along line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a reduced cross sectional View of the assembly illustrated in Fig. 2, taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the unit shown in Fig. 2 with the buoy partially inflated and released;y

" arent fice Fig. 7 is a detailed illustration of the bottom portion of the housing containing the present buoy assembly; and

Fig. 8 illustrates the relationship of the various components of the marker buoy assembly illustrated in Fig. 2 after complete release of the buoy.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, it is contemplated that the entire buoy assembly illustrated in detail in the remaining drawings, when packaged within a housing indicated by the numeral 11, will be contained within the missile or projectile indicated by the numeral 10.

For a complete understanding of the detailed structure and operation of the present invention, reference ishad to the remaining drawings and with particular reference to Figs. 2, 6, and 8, Fig. 2 showing the buoy and its associated equipment assembled within the housing 11 and in readiness for operation, Fig. 6 illustrating the relationship of the various components shown in Fig. 2 shortly after release of the buoy has been initiated, and Fig. 8 illustrating the condition of the buoy assembly after it has surfaced and marks the location of the submerged missile. The container 11 comprises the substantially cylindrical main body portion or can 12 closed at its bottom end 13, and terminating in an outwardly directed flange 14 at its upper end to facilitate attachment to missile 10. The upper end of the can 12 is openy and is provided with the removable closure or cap 15. The cap 15 is formed from a circular disc 16 adapted to be partially inserted in the open upper end of the can 12, and when there seated to provide a closure therefor. The disc 16 is provided with a plurality of radial bores 17 for receiving the cover retaining pins 18, and a central axial bore 22, 22a for receiving spring 23, retaining disc 19, and water soluble tablet 2t). The outer ends of cover retaining pins 18 are beveled at 24 to complement and coact with the beveled edge 25 provided along the inner surface of ange 14. A perforated plate 21 is aixed to the top surface of disc 16 to retain the water soluble tablet 20 and the retaining disc 19 in the position shown in Fig. 2, against the compression of loaded spring 23 bearing against shoulder 26 formed at the end of axial bore 22a opposite from the perforated plate 21. It can be seen that with the elements comprising the cover assembly 15 in their positions shown in Fig. 2, the cooperation between the cover retaining pins 18 and the beveled surface of flange 14, retains the cover 15 locked in position to close the container 11. However, upon submergence of the missile 16 under water for a period of time suilicient for the water entering perforations in the plate 21 to dissolve the tablet 2G, the retaining disc 19 is forced up by theaction of spring 23 into the position originally occupied by the soluble tablet 20, as shown in Fig. 6. The application of an upwardly directed Vforce upon the cover 15 then causes the retaining pins 18 to be cammed inwardly by the action of the beveled surface 25 upon the complementary bevels 24 formed at the ends of the pins, to release the cover 15 and permit its removal by said upwardly directed force.

`Nithin the container 11 is positioned an inflatable float or balloon 30 together with a balloon inflating assembly 40. A balloon closure 31 is seated in the mouth of the balloon, and this closure is made gastight by binding the mouth of the balloon to the closure as by a resilient ring or cord 32. Mounted upon the balloon closure plug and carried thereby within the balloon is the inflating mechanism 40, comprising a substantially tubular enclosure 41 having a top 41a fixed thereon and supporting in conjunction with the spacer 42 and setscrew 43 a flask 44 of compressed gas having a puncturable closure or seal 44a at the top thereof. Mounted above the puncturable cap 44a is a spike or piercing pin 45 carried by the hammer 46. The hammer and spike being contained within the tubular enclosure 41, are urged by compressed spring 48,

bearing between the shoulder 47 of the hammer and the top 41a of the enclosure 41, to travel along the guide pins 49 to drive spike 45 through the puncturable cap 44a. Hammer 46 is however restrained against the urging force .of spring 48 by balls 50 located in holes 5l there for formed in cylinder 41, and these balls `are retained in position by depending lip 52 `of the hammer and the overlaying inverted cylindrical cup 53 mounted over the encasing cylinder 41. Overlaying cup 53 is however urged to travel lupwardly and oil of the cylindrical container 41 by the force of compressed spring S4 bearing between the balloon closure 31 and shoulder 55 formed on cup 53, the cup 53 being retained in the position shown in Eig. 2 by the `restraining action of the container cover 15.

Upon the dissolving of tablet in container cover 15 and the consequent releaseof the cover, the loaded spring 54 urges the overlaying cup S3 and cover 15 upwardly and out vof ythe container 11, thereby permitting balls 50 to fall out of the sockets or holes provided therefor and enabling the loaded spring 48 to drive the hammer 46 and its spike 45 against the pierceable flask closure 44a. Upon release of the compressed gas contained in llask 44, the balloon begins to inflate and emerge from the container 11 as illustrated in Fig. 6.

Located beneath the balloon closure 31 and balloon intlating assembly is a reel assembly 59 comprising the reel contained within and mounted for rotation upon reel ,housing 62, 63, and having attached to the reel arbor and wound thereupon the rope, cord, twine, wire, or the like 61. To keep the reel 60 and the cord 61 from unraveling prior to release of the balloon 30, a pair of tangs 64 depend from the balloon closure 31, pass through suitable openings provided therefor in the reel housing element 62, and engage the reel 6l). The reel housing and consequently the entire reel assembly 59 is attached to the balloon closure plug 31 as by cord 65 or the like. Thus as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 8, when the container cover 15 is released and the balloon 30 inflated, the reel assembly 59 is pulled after the balloon or buoy as it rises to the surface of the water and unravels its cord 61 as required to permit surfacing of the balloon.

Located below the reel assembly 59 within the container 11 is the grappling assembly 70 comprising a plurality of cable winding guides 71, upon which is coiled cable 72, and within the confines of the cable coil thus formed is positioned a grappling block 73. The running end of cord 61 coming off the reel 60 is fed about the outside of and under the cable coil 72, through the nose of grappling block 73, and knotted at its end 74 to secure the grappling block thereto. The grappling block is also secured to the cable 72 by the passage of the latter through the opening formed in the tail portion of the block. The two ends of the cable 72 are secured to the bottom plate 13 of container 11 as indicated at 76 in Figs. 2, 6, and 8. When the balloon or buoy 30 is inflated and ascends through the water it carries the reel assembly 59 thereafter as indicated above, and when sufficient tensio-n is exerted upon the cord 61 it pulls the cable coil 72 out from its winding guides and causes the grappling block 73 to emerge from the container 11 carrying the cable 72 thereafter, as fully illustrated in the ascended buoy condition shown in Fig. 8.

It can thus be seen that in operation or use of the instant marker buoy, when the instrument, missile, or projectile, upon which or within which a structure embodying the present ,invention is positioned remains submerged under water for a period of time, the water soluble tablet 20 in the cover cap 15 is dissolved, triggering into action the balloon nating mechanism all by permitting release of the cover cap 15. The compressed gas flask 44 is then punctured by spike 45, causing the balloon to become vinflated and rise out of the container 11 toward the'surface of the water. In so doing the balloon takes along after it the vreel assembly 59 and grappling block 73, cord 61 being payed out from the reel 60 as necessary and cable 72 uncoiling behind the grappling block 73 until the marker buoy has surfaced and its associated equipment is in the condition illustrated in Fig. 8. To recover the missile, projectile, or other equipment 10 after the balloon has been released and surfaced, it is merely necessary to pull the balloon and reel assembly 59 aboard a salvage boat and use the reel cord 61 to guide a grappling hook to the grappling block 73. By use of the grappling block and cable 72 the equipment 10 may be hoisted to thc surface and thus salvaged. It is apparent that if the submerged missile should come to rest under water with the marker buoy container cover 15 resting against the ground, the balloon could not be released. Consequently it is considered desirable that the instant marker buoy assembly to be used in pairs oppositely disposed in the missile body, as illustrated in Fig. l, to insure that at least one buoy will be released.

Although the foregoing specillc embodiment of the present invention is described and shown applied to a missile or projectile, it is understood that the present invention is not limited thereto but may be used in conjunction with any and all equipment used on, in, over, or near water to facilitate the recovery or marking the location thereof.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A marker buoy assembly for submerged equipment comprising a container adapted to be carried by the equipment, an inflatable balloon carried within said container, a compressed gas ilask carried within said balloon, means primed for opening said llask, means for restraining said opening means, a cap for said container which when covering said container cooperates with said restraining means to hold said flask opening means in its primed condition, means for retaining said cap in container covering position, water soluble means for locking said cap retaining means, dissolving of said locking means releasing said cap and hence said restraining means thereby releasing said flask opening means and causing the inllation and departure of said balloon from said container, anchoring means secured to the base of said container for maintaining remote control of the position of the departed balloon, said anchoring means including a hookgrasping element, and means for housing said hook-grasping element with said container.

2. A marker buoy assembly for submerged equipment comprising a container adapted to be carried by the equipment, an inflatable balloon carried within said container, a compressed gas tlask carried within said balloon, means primed for opening said llask, means for restraining said opening means, a cap for said container which when covering said container cooperates with said restraining means to hold said ilask opening means in its primed condition, means for retaining said cap in container covering position, water soluble means for locking said cap retaining means, dissolving of said locking means releasing said cap and hence said restraining means, thereby releasing said flask opening means and causing the inflation and departure of said balloon from said container, and means for holding said container submerged with said equipment while said balloon rises to the surface of the ambient water body.

3. A marker buoy assembly for submerged equipment comprising a container adapted to be carried by the equipment, an inflatable balloon carried within said container, a compressed gas flask carried within said balloon, means primed for opening said tlask, means for restraining said opening means, a cap for said container which when covering said container cooperates with4 said restraining means to hold said v1laskoper.|ing means in its primed condition,

means for retaining said cap in container covering position, and Water soluble means for locking said cap retainmg means, said flask, cap and water soluble means being axially aligned along the common longitudinal axis of said balloon and container.

4. A marker buoy assembly for submerged equipment comprising a container adapted to be carried by the equipment, an inatable balloon carried Within said container, a compressed gas flask carried Within said balloon having a puncturable seal, a spring urged spiked hammer for puncturing said seal, means for restraining said hammer in a cocked position, a cap for said container, means for retaining said cap in container covering position, Water soluble means for locking said cap retaining means, and means urging said restraining means out of hammer restraining position against the containing inuence of said cap, said balloon, flask, cap, hammer, and water souble means being coaxialy aligned with said urging means.

5. A marker buoy assembly comprising an outer cylindrical container, a balloon disposed in collapsed condition within said outer container, a reel having a cable Wound thereon, one end of said cable being secured to said reel, a closure element to which the mouth of said balloon is secured, cable means for attaching the closure element of said balloon to said reel, an inner cylindrical container supported upon said closure element and disposed with said balloon, anchoring means attached to the bottom of the container and to the other end of the reel cable, and means carried within said inner cylindrical container for inflating said balloon and causing it to depart from said outer container, said inner and outer containers being of rigid construction and concentrically disposed about the axis of said reel.

6. A marker buoy assemby comprising a container, inatable means positioned the container, means adapted to cause inilation of the inilatable means, means adapted to release the inflatable means from captive position within the container, a reel positioned Within the container and beneath the inatable means and coupled thereto in a manner so as to be carried with the inflatable means in its inated condition from Within the container, a line attached to the reel and wound thereon, grappling means secured to the container and positioned within the container and beneath said reel, said reel line having the running end attached to said grappling assembly such that the grappling assembly is pulled from Within the container by the line of the reel when the reel is carried with the inatable means in its inflated condition.

7, A marker buoy assembly as dened in claim 6 wherein said grappling means comprises an elongated block having an ogival nose portion provided with a central longitudinal passage extending therethrough for anchoring a cable, a central portion of reduced diameter shaped to provide a shoulder at the rear of the nose portion, and a cylindrical tail portion having a slot transversely arranged therethrough for receiving a cable.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,117,639 Cooey Nov. 17, 1914 1,216,132 Joyce Feb. 13, 1917 1,252,877 Barrett Jan. 8, 1918 1,791,136 Magnin Feb. 3, 1931 2,415,863 Bell et al. Feb. 18, 1947 2,424,597 Werry July 29, 1947 2,451,474 Craig Oct. 19, 1948 2,641,780 Brown et al. June 16, 1953 2,687,541 Bannister Aug, 31, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,824 Great Britain of 1892 269,087 Great Britain Apr. 14, 1927 372,923 France Apr. 30, 1907 632,429 France Ian. 9, 1928 

